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Finding Heaven at DEFHR's Critical Care Location

November 2011

By Michelle Marraccini, Volunteer

DEFHR’s Critical Care location in Rohrersville, Maryland, is about as close to heaven as you can imagine. Even on a rainy day you can see the hills in the distance, the trees backed by the sky. It is so quiet in the afternoons, you easily find your breathing slowed and your body relaxed. Out in the fields some thin and some restored-weight horses graze with tails flicking.

Inside the barn are the nickers, whinnies and breathing of skinny horses who have been previously neglected. Horses who have endured what no creature should have to endure. All with individual personalities for joy and for fear. Qiwi who cowered in the back of her stall the first time I brought her food is now peering out of the stall for food and kisses. She is young and silly. York, who just arrived so thin with scratches and scabs all over his frail body, has had medicated baths which seem to have healed his spirit as well as his skin.

In the back paddock Jelly Bean and Heliana hang out with Kaliope. They were once so thin with rain rot so bad it hurt to look at them. Now they have put on weight (Heliana, a little too much) and just can’t wait to mess up a clean paddock. Kaliope stands looking out of the paddock with the breeze in her face, eyes heavy, ready to sleep feeling satisfied and safe.

You get to spend so much up-close and personal time loving them back to health. It is a place where one of the best sights to see is a once frail, skinny, defeated horse galloping around the field tossing his head just because he feels safe and free. Frances running towards the fence so fast you want to close your eyes, he stops in the nick of time and you laugh. The ever ridiculous Royal on his own once twisted slipper feet taking off in a canter to see his people friends or doing his silly dance as he waits for his feed bucket to be filled.

Perhaps he feels it too. There is an embracing healing spirit on the farm. You find horses finding partners with other equine friends, staff and volunteers finding a horse who touch their heart, and the gathering of resources when a horse is in a life threatening state. Make no mistake, there is a lot to do everyday for all these horses. Everyone there is busy every minute. It never seems like too much at the end of the day, despite your exhaustion. You know they have what they haven’t had in a long time: care, peace, love.

After the “girls” have all had their dinner and we put them out in the field for the night,they all gallop up to the top of the field where two big tubs of fresh water await them. It must taste good, as they rush to drink it. After they have enough water they move out to graze and one by one they all roll in the grass to scratch their backs in the evening sun. It is an amazing sight to see. I have to stop, watch and sigh with a peaceful heart because they are being horses. Doing what horses are supposed to do with an unmistakable sparkle in their eyes.

When you see that sparkle and you know their hearts and souls have been restored you know they will make it. You know from this point forward continued love, patience and care will put on the weight, teach them manners and make them ready to move to the main barn. Someday they will be up for adoption. You have answered a call to make a difference in the world. You are part of something more than rehabilitation. You are part of everyday miracles. You’ll want to be there every moment.